United Kingdom · CV rules
UK CV Photo: Should You Include One? (Short Answer: No)
Don't put a photo on a UK CV. Prospects, the UK graduate careers service, says a photograph is unnecessary unless you're applying for acting or modelling work. The University of Dundee tells international students plainly that UK CVs don't include photos, and a study of graduate employers found most reacted negatively to them, citing bias and discrimination concerns. Leave off your date of birth, nationality and gender too.
If you come from Germany, Spain, Italy, much of Latin America or parts of Asia, a CV with a neat headshot in the corner probably feels normal. Perfectly professional, even expected. Then you apply for a job in London, Manchester or Glasgow and wonder: is the photo hurting me?
Nobody can promise you what a particular recruiter thinks, and the UK has no rule that bans photos from CVs. But the advice from UK careers services is remarkably consistent, so following it costs you nothing and removes one reason for a recruiter to hesitate.
- Why UK employers don't want a photo
- What to leave off a UK CV
- Is it "CV" or "resume" in the UK?
- If photos are normal in your home country
- Convert your CV to UK style in 6 steps
- Before and after: the header (fictional)
- What about LinkedIn and application forms?
- Frequently asked questions
- Your next step
- Your next steps
Why UK employers don't want a photo
It comes down to fairness. A photo tells a recruiter things about you that have nothing to do with whether you can do the job. UK graduate employers seem to feel the same way. A study from Prospects and Keele University's careers service interviewed 41 UK graduate employers and analysed 37 of those interviews. Its finding on photos: including one is uncommon in the UK, and most employers responded negatively, citing concerns about bias and discrimination. The report advises applicants to think carefully before including one.
That study covers graduate recruitment, so it doesn't speak for every sector. Still, it matches what Prospects and Dundee tell applicants directly.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Prospects (UK graduate careers service) | A photograph is unnecessary unless you're applying for an acting or modelling job |
| University of Dundee | UK CVs don't include photos; they're common in other countries, but UK employers don't expect them |
| Prospects and Keele employer study | Photos are uncommon; most of the employers interviewed reacted negatively, citing bias and discrimination |
What to leave off a UK CV
| Remove this | Why | Put this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Prospects and Dundee advise against it | Nothing. Use a professional photo on LinkedIn. |
| Date of birth | Prospects says it isn't relevant and shouldn't be included | Nothing |
| Place of birth, gender, nationality | The University of Edinburgh says you don't need them | Nothing |
| Age and marital status | Prospects lists both as things to avoid in your profile | Nothing |
| "Curriculum Vitae" as a title | Dundee advises against the heading | Your name, as a heading |
| Home address if posting online | Prospects suggests leaving it out of CVs posted online, to reduce fraud risk | City or region, email and phone |
| Complex tables and graphics | Dundee warns they may not pass applicant tracking systems | A clean, simple layout |
What goes at the top instead? Newcastle University lists your name, one full address, a phone number and a professional email address, and Prospects adds a link to a professional networking profile, website or portfolio if you have one. If you haven't arrived in the UK yet and don't have a UK address, a city and country is a sensible option. That one is our suggestion, not a rule from these sources. For the full layout, see our UK CV template and format guide.
Is it "CV" or "resume" in the UK?
The same document. Dundee notes that "CV" and "resume" mean the same thing in the UK, with CV the more common term. So when UK job adverts ask for a CV, they aren't asking for the long academic version used elsewhere.
If photos are normal in your home country
This catches out a lot of good candidates, and it isn't your fault. A photo on a CV is normal in many countries. Your old CV isn't wrong; it was written for another market. You can compare how the rules differ elsewhere in our guides for Canada, Australia, the USA and Europe. Images can also trip up tracking software, which we cover in do ATS systems reject resumes with photos?
Convert your CV to UK style in 6 steps
- Delete the photo and any table or text box that held it.
- Remove personal details: date of birth, place of birth, gender, nationality, marital status.
- Rename the document by deleting any "Curriculum Vitae" heading and putting your name at the top.
- Keep the contact block short: name, address or city, phone, professional email, and a LinkedIn link if you like.
- Cut to two pages. Edinburgh calls a two-page CV standard in the UK, and Dundee suggests avoiding a half-empty second page.
- Simplify the layout. Fewer tables and graphics, so tracking systems can read it.
Before and after: the header (fictional)
| Before (common abroad) | After (UK style) |
|---|---|
| CURRICULUM VITAE [Photo] Lucía Fernández Ruiz Born 14 June 1993, Madrid, Spanish Single Calle Alcalá 100, Madrid | Lucía Fernández Manchester | 07000 000000 lucia.fernandez@example.com | linkedin.com/in/lucia-fernandez-example |
What about LinkedIn and application forms?
- LinkedIn: a clear, professional photo on your profile is normal and helps people recognise you. It's the CV document that stays photo-free.
- Online application forms: if a form has an optional photo upload, you can usually skip it. Do what the employer clearly asks, and nothing more.
- Acting and modelling: Prospects names these as the exception, where an employer may genuinely need to see you. Follow the job advertisement.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put a photo on my CV in the UK?
No. Prospects says a photograph is unnecessary unless you're applying for acting or modelling work, and Dundee says UK CVs don't include photos.
Is it illegal to include a photo on a UK CV?
None of the sources we reviewed describe it as illegal. It's a convention: UK employers in the Prospects and Keele study were mostly negative about photos, citing bias and discrimination concerns.
What if the job advert asks for a photo?
Follow the advert. Acting and modelling are the usual exceptions, and an employer that asks for one is telling you what it wants.
Should I include my date of birth, nationality or gender?
No. Prospects says date of birth isn't relevant and shouldn't be included, and Edinburgh says you don't need your place of birth, gender or nationality.
Do I need to put my full address on a UK CV?
Newcastle suggests one full address, but Prospects advises leaving your home address off CVs you post online, to reduce fraud risk. For applications, follow the employer's instructions.
Will a photo stop my CV passing an ATS?
It can complicate things. Dundee recommends a clean, simple layout over complex designs and tables because these may not pass applicant tracking systems.
Can I use a photo on LinkedIn?
Yes. A professional photo on LinkedIn is normal. The advice applies to the CV document itself.
Your next step
Open your current CV and delete the photo, birth date, nationality and marital status. Replace the "Curriculum Vitae" title with your name, and trim the contact block to the essentials. Fifteen minutes, and your CV reads like the ones UK recruiters see every day.
Keep going
Your next steps
Sources
- Prospects: How to write a CV
- University of Dundee: CV writing guidance for international students
- Prospects (HECSU) and Keele: What do graduate employers want in a CV?
- University of Edinburgh Careers Service: How to write your CV
- Newcastle University Careers Service: CVs and cover letters booklet
- Prospects: Writing a personal statement for your CV
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